I wasn’t really expecting an answer, but Eileen decided to fluff her plague-tainted feathers again.
“There’s a way. I got a little something at level 600. But don’t you worry your little head about that… Demon Fighter.” She laughed, her lower lip cracking and leaking out brown rot. “I swear on the Nucleus, you have no idea how badly I wanted to make it into the Games, Scyth! And when I made it, I dreamed I would be the first to defeat the final boss!”
“And you still want that?” I asked unhurriedly, looking from side to side.
“You took that dream away. I can’t be the first anymore, and I don’t want to be the second. But I’m not upset. You’re a damn Demon Fighter, and I’m Supreme Legate of the Destroying Plague. Which one is more awesome? Let me think… Hmm, you’re in my hands, I’ve taken away all your gear without breaking a sweat… I think I’m the stronger one… You know, I’ve thought so much about this meeting, dreamed of how exactly I would kill you… But it’s all turned out even better than I expected! Right before the eyes of the whole world, in the center of Darant! Rest assured, the video of this meeting will go to Disgardium Daily as soon as I’m done with you! By the way, back in the Games, you got close to that bitch Destiny. I’m burning to know – what did you get her with? You see, I have some experience with that arrogant vulture, and believe me, she definitely takes second place in any contest for being a stuck-up skank!”
“Who’s in first place?”
“Pfft… I thought you were smarter than that.”
As I listened to her, I lurched, waved my arms in an attempt to keep my balance.
“Hey, Demon Fighter slave!” Eileen said, narrowing her eyes in displeasure. “Stand up straight when your mistress is talking to you!”
I nodded, teetered over again and deliberately collapsed forward, falling to her feet. Right where the flask of my reward for the Games was lying.
My soles were glued to the pavement, so my knees crunched. Eileen reeled back, but then realized there was no reason to be afraid and got angry instead. A sharp strike from her plate boot took away 2% of my health and broke my cheekbone. My eyes dimmed in pain. Multicolored circles danced in the black background…
My debuff timers showed: 06:43… 06:42… The second hit split my skull, the third broke my ribs with a crunch. A series of claps from opening portals saved me from the beating.
“Hold on, Demon Fighter Scyth!” I heard a ringing male voice say. “Help is…”
I threw back my head, but blood filled my eyes. I could only make out a dim silhouette on a gryphon.
Spit attacks from the minions made the guard start choking. There was a scream. A bow fell to the ground nearby, followed by a human in a shining golden cuirass. Fortunately, he wasn’t alone. A hail of arrows and spells rained down on Eileen.
“Keep range!” a command rang out in the distance.
“Keep range from the dead one! Further, further!” came shouts in various voices.
Then hundreds of voices melded into a battle cry intermingled with the ring of metal, the crack and swish of casting spells.
Chuckling with a dead grin, Eileen summoned her Bone Hippogryph and climbed atop it, taking off and shooting toward the defenders of Darant.
Sprawled out on the ground, I only saw her disappearing behind the roofs of the houses. A few seconds later, a dead flash split the sky. Considering how much time Eileen had, she must have leveled up Resilience to rank seven or even eight. That meant she had Equanimity, Diamond Skin and Reflection. How could she be such an imba player and not a Threat?
Lost effect from Unity: -3143 strength.
Lost effect from Unity: -3119 perception.
Lost effect from Unity: -3331 endurance.
Lost effect from Unity: -2844 charisma.
Lost effect from Unity: -3495 intellect.
Lost effect from Unity: -3112 agility.
Lost effect from Unity: -3784 luck.
The flood of notifications and the sudden sense of heaviness could mean only one thing: Tiamat’s temple was destroyed. Eileen must have sent one of the legates there to finish the job.
My debuffs were down to four minutes by the time the Supreme Legate came back. The warriors of the Commonwealth fell, unable to withstand the plague energy. Dead silence descended, broken only by the measured shuffling of the undead patrolling the square.
“Oh, the radiant ones showed up after all! Wow, so much fun in such a short time!” Eileen rubbed her hands. “Hmm… Do I have time? Or should I deal with you first…”
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Three powerful beams of light struck the legate in the chest, sending her flying away from me. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air. Lifting myself up slightly, I looked around.
Seven Aspects of Light floated majestically above Darant’s skyline. The closest ones were already attacking Eileen, and the others joined them an instant later. Nergal’s priests shone like gleaming stars atop their snow-white gryphons between the colossal blinding crystals. Now there was something I thought I’d never be glad to see.
Aspect of Light, level 954 Reflection of Nergal
Under the deadly rays of the Aspects of Light, the Supreme Legate’s health bar fell rapidly. They and the High Priest were always a hundred levels above the highest-level player in Dis, which was now Eileen.
“These aren’t so easy to kill,” the girl reasoned aloud, walking over to me, but still looking at the defenders of Darant. It seemed she too had the habit of talking to herself. “I’ll have to take out the priests, and that’s time… No, best kill the slave first…”
I seized what might be my only chance. I pulled my arm out from beneath me, the flask of essence clutched in my hand. Pulling the cork out with my bloody toothless gums, I silently emptied it all out at Eileen.
The effect was like acid: wherever the essence fell, Eileen’s skin hissed, began to blister. One by one those blisters popped, spraying out boiling-hot liquid that emitted venom-green steam. Eileen howled, spinning in place and tearing off her skin, throwing off chunks of smoking meat. The essence ate through her. Her flesh melted, her bare bones began to dissolve like sugar in hot water.
The heap of fleshy scraps that fell to my feet continued to scream even after it lost the ability to move, but the cry slowly turned to a wheeze.
Concentrated Life Essence, capable of cutting off the connection to the Nether even for the Nucleus of the Destroying Plague itself, easily did the same with its Supreme Legate. It seemed that cutting off her connection to the Nether or the Nucleus disabled her abilities, and the undead under her control collapsed into dust. Another beam from the Aspect of Light lanced into the heap of bones where Eileen’s unlife still barely held on, finishing off the Supreme Legate.
“How… is this… possible?” she hissed as she expired.
I started moving. Tiamat’s temple might be beyond saving, but until I saw it with my own eyes…
You leveled up: +4! Current level: 585.
20 free attribute points available!
The debuffs fell, and of course, I made my attempt. I waved my fist, felt the activation of Rindzin’s Ghostly Talon and struck in the spot where the dead legate’s heart should have been. The Talon pierced it, and I shouted:
“I banish you from Disgardium forever!”
And nothing happened. It turned out Eileen wasn’t a Threat. I really hoped she wasn’t headed for the graveyard, but had lost her character.
On the other hand, Magnetism kicked in, pulling in the gear from her corpse and emptying the contents of her bags. Killer’s Curse, which affected anyone with the blood of other players on their hands, had kicked in and lowered the chances of items not dropping to almost zero.
I quickly went through the items and confirmed that I not only got my own gear back, but also looted several of Eileen’s legendaries… Everything apart from the spent essence. I hoped my fellow Pitfall fighters would keep their promise and hand over their rewards.
The loot from Dis’s top p
layer would wait for now; it was time to act. If the legates had gained this much power, then it was hard to even imagine what awaited Kharinza and all the Awoken when the undead reached the island…
The wings of a landing gryphon flapped above me, streams of air tickled my hair.
“Demon Fighter Scyth!” the rider shouted.
He jumped off and walked towards me. He was a broad-shouldered old man with a powerful jaw, wearing the glimmering gold and blue-white uniform of King Bastian the First. Snow-white hair poked out of his lion’s-head helmet. The golden stars of a general gleamed on his shoulderguards.
He approached silently, saluted me and said what I could already see in my interface:
“Cal Newport, General of the Commonwealth Army.”
“Hello, General! Sorry, but I’m in a hurry…” I found Depths Teleportation and focused on it to teleport to the Lakharian Desert and see what was happening there, but Newport kept talking, prompting me to cancel the mental command.
“Just one minute, Demon Fighter Scyth! His Majesty King Bastian the First just witnessed you offering priceless support to the army and the priests of Nergal the Radiant in the destruction of Eileen, Supreme Legate of the Destroying Plague! His Majesty invites you to an audience…”
“When?”
“Right now!” the general said, his eyes flashing.
I glanced at the approaching Aspects of Light and priests of Nergal.
“Sorry, no. With all due respect for you and His Majesty… You know Eileen is undying, right? She’s already revived and could be attacking my home!”
“What should I tell His Majesty?”
“That I want to put an end to the Destroying Plague. And if the Commonwealth offers help, I’ll take it. Sorry, but I have to go.”
“Understood, Demon Fighter Scyth!” The general straightened and saluted. “You will receive an invitation by goblin mail with a likely visiting time! Attached to the letter will be a portal seal to the palace reception hall…”
The general’s booming voice cut off as I teleported to the Lakharian Desert. As soon as I felt the heat of the sun, I flew up into the sky.
As my vision adapted, I saw a sea of bones spread out beneath me. Eileen’s entire horde had fallen, collapsed into dust. My heart soared in relief, but froze when I confirmed that Tiamat’s temple was gone.
Desert undead frolicked about in the debris. They were led by another legate, a level 507 druid. Mogwai scurried around the ruins, and wherever he passed, the sand and stones covered over in plague slime, the same sticky ash that once marred the land beneath Shazz the lich’s camp.
With a crack of bone, talons sunk into my spine. I grabbed a dry and sinewy leg, threw a level 483 Undead Desert Vulture off me. I shot toward its body as it flew through the air, put down Mogwai’s minion with a couple of Hammerfists.
“Come down, Scyth!” the druid shouted joyfully when he noticed me. “What, Eileen couldn’t finish you off?”
“She didn’t have the heart…” I muttered quietly to myself.
“Well, well… She already told me you spent your Concentrated Life Essence. A surprising way to get rid of a legate’s skills! And a very expensive one! Unique, one might say,” he laughed. “Good thing you only had one, but still, don’t be afraid, come try and kill me! Ha-ha! The Nucleus took away my Subjugate Mind, so…”
“Why are you here?” I asked, climbing higher.
“The Supreme Legate ordered me to finish destroying the temple while she dealt with you. Listen, sorry for breaking all your stuff, but we need this place for ourselves. We’re going to put a temple to the Nucleus here… Yeah, yeah, don’t look so surprised, it found a way to increase its Faith. The dark gods that joined us helped out. So now we’re going to get even stronger!”
Mogwai raised his arms and laughed like a maniac. His behavior surprised me just like Eileen’s had, but it made sense; they were drunk on might and impunity, on limitless confidence in the power the Nucleus gave its legates.
Mogwai stopped laughing, continued:
“For you and your pathetic gods this place is lost forever, worm. The place of power has been transformed into… Can you guess? No? Bottom line is, it’s a plague place of power now. Only we can use it.”
I couldn’t kill him, but let him befoul the land further? That wouldn’t do. I cast Spirit Trap on him so he couldn’t run away, then calmly descended and activated Depths Teleportation to the trap cell beneath Mount Mecharri. But it didn’t work!
“Nuh-uh!” Mogwai said, wagging a finger at me. “No more forced teleports! How about you try this!”
Turning into a panther, the druid rose up on his back legs and struck out with his forefeet. The attack was so strong that I lost over a third of my health and was thrown back thirty yards, somersaulting across the sand. Stopping on the slope of a dune, I looked my enemy in the face. He shook his head.
“Damn, I sure could use a bigger plague reservoir!” he shouted. “I could banish you from Dis right now…” Glancing at his minions, he roared: “Attack!”
Around a hundred undead beasts charged toward me. There was no point in killing them if I couldn’t kill them all; each one that died would strengthen the rest.
Taking off into the sky, I shot away from the legate and jumped to Terrastera.
Judging by the many messages from my friends, player allies and goblin allies, they had noticed the loss of thousands of stat points. We needed a second temple, and fast.
Chapter 6. Synergy
PLUNGED INTO THE ACID RAIN of Terrastera, I made sure I was in the place of power at the new temple, then used Isis’ artifact. A beam of sunlight suddenly lanced down through the brooding dark sky, then another, and another, peppering the flint-gray clouds with holes. Then the clouds themselves retreated, as if an invisible hundred-yard umbrella had opened up above a glade in the center of the stone forest.
The puddle of acid beneath my feet smoked, filling the air with acrid steam, and I was glad my Cold-Blooded Punisher helmet kept it out. I shuddered to imagine what would happen to my lungs if I breathed in that filth.
Treading carefully, I headed toward the temple. The soil here was like a sieve, its holes firing out fountains of white syrup or flexible and predatory tendrils like beams of light, hunting for flying life. There was plenty of it there – the air hummed and vibrated with fluttering wings.
The local creatures didn’t seem to like the climate change beneath Isis’ ‘umbrella’ – as one, they hurried to leave me alone in my safe zone. The high chitinous fin of a running barakata flashed in the distance – a beast like a three-foot-long cockroach with monstrous mandibles.
I walked a few paces, and suddenly the earth beside me shifted, exploded upward in clumps, revealing… A snail? Close, but no.
Turbo, level 1 Dalezma
Infect’s free-roaming pet.
The ‘snail’ was around the size of an apple. It opened its shell to release a thin scorpion tail, which drifted to one side and froze, vibrating tensely. The dalezma extended a feeler and touched my shoe… I froze, readied a Hammerfist, but the creature suddenly settled down. The tail retracted, the shell slammed shut, and Infect’s pet disappeared underground. Judging by the narrow trail of slime appearing on the surface, he was moving away from the temple.
I crossed the puddle of slime the dalezma left behind, headed for the temple, but stopped nearby, thinking. Dedicate the temple to Tiamat again? For the third time now? Or summon one of the three other remaining Sleepers to get some new abilities? The notion seemed sane, but disloyal to Tiamat.
Still doubting, I sat down with my back to the altar. My eyelids began to droop. The short breather I’d had on the way from the Games to Cali Bottom wasn’t enough. But relaxing meant losing. On the other hand, I couldn’t rush around and leap before I looked either – easy to make a mistake that way, and any mistake could be fatal.
I needed to analyze everything I knew, but my exhausted brain objected, demanded a little procrastin
ation. Hey, why not check out the loot from Eileen? Happy for the break from serious work, my brain kicked it up a gear, oiled by greed and fueled by avarice. I started going through the loot.
The two million gold that had dropped from the legate gave me hope that her gear would be royal too. I opened it… and closed my inventory in disappointment a minute later. No divine items from the Supreme Legate of the Destroying Plague set had dropped, and Eileen had three of them: a crown, boots and shoulderplates.
Of the four legendary items, two – greaves and gloves – had an exclusive requirement: for the ‘undead’ race only. Their main feature was a reduction of racial penalties. But the two others… I could imagine Eileen’s scream when she realized she’d lost them! The legendary belt and chestplate were from the Striking Blade class set, which, when fully assembled, attained divine properties and gave an extra title: Striking Blade of Innoruuk!
Enemy of the Inferno (Disgardium Book #8): LitRPG Series Page 13